Surface Contact Self-Sealing Integrated Tablewear and Dining Mat

ABSTRACT

A self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat including a rubberlike planar portion having a raised perimeter delimiting at least one concavity above an upper surface and a suffuse undersurface disposed for sealable contact with an underlying surface upon which said mat is disposed, said sealable contact preventative of lateral displacement of the planar portion across the underlying surface, wherein said sealable contact creates a partial vacuum when attempts to separate the undersurface from the underlying surface are made except at an outer edge of the planar portion, whereby io removal of the planar portion from the underlying surface is effective only by peeling the undersurface from the underlying surface starting first at the outer edge.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This international application claims the benefit of nonprovisionalapplication for utility patent no. 14333682 filed a the united StatesPatent and Trademark Office on Jul. 17, 2014

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK

Not Applicable

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

Be it known that I, Lindsey Laurain, a citizen of the United States,have invented new and useful improvements in a surface contactself-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat as described in thisspecification, and that the benefit of nonprovisional application no.14333682 for utility patent, filed with the USPTO on Jul. 17, 2014, ishereby claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various types of tablewear and associated placemats are known in theprior art devised for use by infants and children at mealtime. However,what is needed is a surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewearand dining mat that includes an impervious, rubberlike planar portionhaving a raised perimeter delimiting at least one concavity above anupper surface, and a suffuse undersurface disposed for sealable contactwith an underlying surface upon which said mat is disposed, saidsealable contact preventative of lateral displacement of the planarportion across the underlying surface, wherein said sealable contactcreates a partial vacuum when attempts to separate the undersurface fromthe underlying surface are made except at an outer edge of the planarportion, whereby removal of the planar portion from the underlyingsurface is effective only by peeling the undersurface from theunderlying surface starting first at the outer edge.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a surface contact self-sealingintegrated tablewear and dining mat, and more particularly, to aself-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat including an imperviousrubberlike planar portion having a raised perimeter delimiting at leastone concavity above an upper surface and a suffuse undersurface disposedfor sealable contact with an underlying surface upon which said mat isdisposed, said sealable contact preventative of lateral displacement ofthe planar io portion across the underlying surface, wherein saidsealable contact creates a partial vacuum when attempts to separate theundersurface from the underlying surface are made except at an outeredge of the planar portion, whereby removal of the planar portion fromthe underlying surface is effective only by peeling the undersurfacefrom the underlying surface starting first at the outer edge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general purpose of the surface contact self-sealing integratedtablewear and dining mat, described subsequently in greater detail, isto provide a surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear anddining mat which has many novel features that result in a surfacecontact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat which is notanticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art,either alone or in combination thereof.

Many a parent knows the inconvenience of having to clean up after theirchildren's mealtimes. Young children especially can be quite messy, evendislodging and upturning their plates and bowls to spill foodstuffs andbeverages everywhere. What is needed is a surface contact self-sealingintegrated tablewear and dining mat, whereby tablewear (including bowls,plates, and other such concavities and receptacles as are suited fordelimiting foodstuffs therein) is not separable from an underlyingplanar portion or placemat, and lateral displacement and simpleoverturning of said mat is preventable.

The present surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and diningmat, therefore, enables a planar portion devised for sealable contactupon an underlying ii surface, wherein lateral displacement of saidplanar portion upon said underlying surface is preventable and a partialvacuum, creatable between the planar portion and said underlying surfacewhen attempts to lift the planar portion away from said underlyingsurface are effected, prevents separation of the planar portion from theunderlying surface except when said planar portion is first peeled awayfrom said underlying surface at an outer edge of said planar portion.Thus the present surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear anddining mat resists displacement and overturning effected by a clumsy ordeliberate child, whereby foodstuffs are effectively maintained at adesired position upon a tabletop, for example, and spilled foodstuffsare catchable upon said planar portion and thereat removed from contactwith the underlying surface for ready and expedient cleanup subsequentcompletion of the mealtime.

The present surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and diningmat, therefore, includes an impermeable planar portion delimited by anouter edge. The outer edge defines the outermost extremity of the planarportion. The planar portion includes an undersurface and an uppersurface, as will be described subsequently.

The undersurface has a high coefficient of friction, defined herein asenabling contact upon a vertical surface, and maintaining said contactby tractive engagement therewith capable of supporting the weight ofplanar portion thereon. Thus, the planar portion is capable ofmaintaining position and contact with a vertically oriented surface whenapplied thereto by means of the high coefficient of friction of theundersurface.

The undersurface also effects sealable contact with an underlyingsurface. Lifting the planar portion anywhere except at the outer edge,therefore, creates a partial vacuum between the undersurface and saidunderlying surface, whereby frictional resistance to lateraldisplacement and sealable contact impervious to passage of air or fluidsresist separation of the planar portion from the underlying surface.Removal of the planar portion from an underlying surface is thus besteffected at the outer edge, whereat sealable contact is breakable andcreation of the partial vacuum is avoidable.

The upper surface includes a raised perimeter centrally disposedthereon, said raised perimeter defining a concavity atop the planarportion upper surface. The concavity is contemplated to include at leastone receptacle wherein foodstuffs are storable, as desired, foringestion therefrom. The at least one receptacle is contemplated toinclude a bowl and, alternately, an ovoid portion having at least a pairof receptacles therein, whereby dissimilar foodstuffs are storablewithin the concavity separated and distinct for ingestion therefrom, asdesired.

Since the concavity and at least one receptacle are integrated with theplanar portion upper surface, said concavity and at least one receptacleare not separable therefrom, and lateral displacement and spillage arethereby preventable by inadvertent or deliberate knocking by a child.Moreover, the planar portion acts to anchor the concavity and at leastone receptacle in a desired position upon an underlying surface, therebypreventative of inadvertent or mischievous tampering by a child atmealtime.

In the preferred embodiment herein disclosed, the surface contactself-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat is contemplated to bemade from silicone, or another nontoxic rubberlike polymer, yielding tothe touch, and having an undersurface io enabling sealable contact withan underlying surface such as a tabletop, said undersurface having ahigh coefficient of friction resistive of lateral displacement thereon.Thus, the surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and diningmat provides an all-in-one tablewear and placemat for children, yieldingto the touch, resistive to displacement, overturning, or spillage, andappropriate to catch spilled foods during ingestion by a child, wherebyexpedient cleanup after mealtime is effective.

Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of thepresent surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining matso that the detailed description thereof that follows may be betterunderstood and in order that the present contribution to the art may bebetter appreciated.

Objects of the present surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewearand dining mat, along with various novel features that characterize theinvention are particularly pointed out in the claims forming a part ofthis disclosure. For better understanding of the surface contactself-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat, its operatingadvantages and specific objects attained by its uses, refer to theaccompanying drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of an example embodiment, taken along theline 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of an example embodiment taken along theline 8-8 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a top view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an example embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross section view of an example embodiment, taken alongthe line 12-12 of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular FIGS. 1 through 12thereof, example of the instant surface contact self-sealing integratedtablewear and dining mat employing the principles and concepts of thepresent surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining matand generally designated by the reference number 10 will be described.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 12 a preferred embodiment of the presentsurface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat 10 isillustrated. The present surface contact self-sealing integratedtablewear and dining mat 10 has been devised to enable a choice placematand integrated eating vessel for young children, whereby lateraldisplacement of the mat 10 is preventable upon a given underlyingsurface, such as a tabletop, for example, and food is maintained inposition within the area of the mat 10.

The present surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and diningmat 10, therefore includes a silicone planar portion 20 bounded by anouter edge 22. An undersurface 24 is suffuse upon the planar portion 20,said undersurface 24 disposed to sealably contact an underlying surfaceupon which the planar portion 20 is disposed. The undersurface 24includes a high coefficient of friction, whereby the planar portion 20is maintainable in contact with a vertically oriented surface withoutvertical displacement thereupon. The sealable contact further creates apartial vacuum between the undersurface 24 and an underlying surfaceupon which the planar portion 20 is disposed when the undersurface 24 iscaused to separate from the underlying surface, whereby the undersurface24 is maintained in contact with the underlying surface by force ofatmosphere exerted upon the planar portion 20, whereby separation of theplanar portion 20 from the underlying surface is preventable, except bypeeling action at the outer edge 22.

The planar portion 20 further includes an upper surface 26, disposedoverlying the undersurface 24. A raised perimeter 28 is disposed withinthe upper surface 26, said raised perimeter 28 defining a concavity 30wrought above the upper surface of the planar portion 20 to delimit atleast one receptacle 32 upon the planar portion 20. The at least onereceptacle 32 is variously effected; as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, theat least one receptacle 32 is disposed as a bowl 32A; in FIGS. 5 through8, the at least one receptacle 32 is disposed as a shallow ovoid portion32B, within the bounds of which ovoid portion 32B is disposed at least apair of receptacles 34 for the selective and separable positioning offoodstuffs therein.

The at least one receptacle 32 is wrought of the same material as theplanar portion 20, and may be molded thereon at time of manufacture. Inthe preferred embodiment herein disclosed, the planar portion 20 isrendered of silicone, or another rubberlike nontoxic polymer with a highcoefficient of friction and effective of sealable, airtight contact withan underlying surface. The present surface contact self-sealingintegrated tablewear and dining mat 10, therefore, resists lateraldisplacement upon an underlying surface, such as a tabletop, as when,for example, a child attempts to push, knock, slip, or slide saidtablewear and dining mat 10. Moreover, the silicone or rubberlikenontoxic substrate is yielding, whereby injury from forced contacttherewith is obviated.

Moreover, the silicone substrate, or nontoxic rubberlike polymer,comprising the surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear anddining mat 10 is impermeable, whereby foodstuffs and fluids aremaintained from contact with the underlying surface upon which saidplanar portion 20 is disposed. Thus, mess created when, for example, andinfant is eating is thereby catchable upon the planar portion 20 andprevented from contacting the underlying surface whereon is positionedthe surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat 10.

The present surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and diningmat 10, therefore, sealably contacts an underlying surface and therebyprevents lateral io displacement of the planar portion 20 across saidunderlying surface by frictional engagement therewith. Creation of apartial vacuum between the undersurface 24 and the underlying surface,when attempt is made to separate said planar portion 20 from saidunderlying surface, prevents unintended lifting of the planar portion 20off of said underlying surface. A child, therefore, is prevented fromlifting the present surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewearand dining mat 10 from a table, for example, by grasping the at leastone receptacle 32.

To remove the surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear anddining mat 10 from an underlying surface, and break contacttherebetween, a user lifts the outer edge 22 of the planar portion 20from off the underlying surface. Lifting the planar portion 20 at theouter edge 22, and peeling the planar portion 20 from the underlyingsurface, prevents creation of the partial vacuum by enabling entry ofambient atmosphere between the undersurface 24 and the underlyingsurface, whereby removal of the surface contact self-sealing integratedtablewear and dining mat 10 from an underlying surface is effective.

Foodstuffs are therefore selectively positional interior to the at leastone receptacle 32, said receptacle 32 thence maintained in desiredposition upon the underlying surface by action of the planar portion 20sealably contacting said underlying surface, and removal of said planarportion 20 from said underlying surface is effective only when saidplanar portion 20 is separated from said underlying surface first at theouter edge 22 of the planar portion 20, whereby attempts by an infant tooverturn, slide, slip, or otherwise displace the planar portion 20 whileeating therefrom are preventable.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surface contact self-sealing integratedtablewear and dining mat comprising a rubberlike planar portion having araised perimeter delimiting at least one concavity above an uppersurface and a suffuse undersurface disposed for sealable contact with anunderlying surface upon which said mat is disposed, said sealablecontact preventative of lateral displacement of the planar portionacross the underlying surface, wherein said sealable contact creates apartial io vacuum when attempts to separate the undersurface from theunderlying surface are made except at an outer edge of the planarportion, whereby removal of the planar portion from the underlyingsurface is effective only by peeling the undersurface from theunderlying surface starting first at the outer edge.
 2. The surfacecontact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat of claim 1wherein the planar portion extends laterally beyond the raised perimeterwhereby the planar portion extends surrounding the at least oneconcavity.
 3. The surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear anddining mat of claim 2 wherein the at least one concavity includes atleast one receptacle divided therein, said at least one receptacleappropriate for holding differentiated foodstuffs therein.
 4. Thesurface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat ofclaim 3 wherein the rubberlike planar portion is molded nontoxicsilicone.
 5. A surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear anddining mat comprising: a nontoxic polymeric planar portion; an outeredge perimetrically bounding said planar portion; an undersurfacesuffuse upon the planar portion, said undersurface disposed to sealablycontact an underlying surface upon which the planar portion is disposed;to an upper surface; and a raised perimeter disposed within the uppersurface, said raised perimeter defining a concavity wrought above theupper surface of the planar portion to delimit at least one receptacleupon the planar portion; wherein the undersurface sealably contacts anunderlying surface upon which the planar portion is disposed, saidundersurface thereby preventing lateral displacement of the planarportion upon said underlying surface by frictional engagement therewithand, further, creation of a partial vacuum between the undersurface andthe underlying surface when attempt is made to remove said planarportion away from said underlying surface, whereby foodstuffs arepositional interior to the at least one receptacle, said receptaclethence maintained in desired position by action of the planar portioncontacting said underlying surface, and removal of said planar portionfrom said underlying surface is effective only when said planar portionis lifted from said underlying surface first at the outer edge of theplanar portion.
 6. The surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewearand dining mat of claim 5 wherein the at least one receptacle is a bowl.7. The surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining matof claim 5 wherein the at least one receptacle includes an ovoid portionand at least a pair to of receptacles disposed within the bounds of theovoid portion for separate and selective positioning of foodstuffs. 8.The surface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining mat ofclaim 5 wherein the nontoxic polymeric planar portion is silicone.
 9. Asurface contact self-sealing integrated tablewear and dining matcomprising: a silicone planar portion; an outer edge perimetricallybounding the planar portion; an undersurface suffuse upon the planarportion, said undersurface disposed to sealably contact an underlyingsurface upon which the planar portion is disposed; an upper surface; anda raised perimeter disposed within the upper surface, said raisedperimeter defining a concavity wrought above the upper surface of theplanar portion to delimit at least one receptacle upon the planarportion; wherein the undersurface sealably contacts an underlyingsurface upon which the planar portion is disposed, said undersurfacethereby preventing lateral displacement of the planar portion upon saidunderlying surface by frictional engagement therewith and, further,creation of a partial vacuum between the undersurface and the underlyingsurface when attempt is made to separate said planar portion from saidunderlying surface, whereby foodstuffs are selectively positionalinterior to the at least one receptacle, said receptacle thencemaintained in desired position upon the underlying surface by action ofthe planar portion contacting said underlying surface, and removal ofsaid planar portion from said underlying surface is effective only whensaid planar portion is separated from said underlying surface first atthe outer edge of the planar portion.